IBM has recently expanded the IBM Support Portal Adviser Beta to all IBM Software products!

What is the IBM Support Portal Adviser? The IBM Support Portal Adviser (ISPA) is a new, truly interactive way to search IBM support content. It provides a more human-like interaction, with more information and guidance throughout the problem description process plus enhanced search capabilities. And now, all IBM Software products are now added and available in the IBM Support Portal Adviser Beta...

To try the IBM Support Portal Adviser, please follow these steps:

Click on the image to the left for a full-size version of screen captures highlighting how to find the IBM Support Portal beta module.

If it is your first time to the IBM Support Portal, you will be presented with a "Quick Start" page. Choose at least one IBM product from the list above and click "Continue."

If you are returning to the IBM Support Portal, make sure that you have an IBM product from the list above already active. To check, look for a "check mark" next to your products in the left side's "Choose a product" module. You may use the left side's "Quick find" search to add the needed product(s) to your active list.

Once an IBM product that is part of this beta is active, a new "IBM Support Portal Adviser beta" module will automatically appear on the "Support home" page in the center left column, 4 to 5 modules down, depending on which products you have active.

The "IBM Support Portal Adviser beta" module will also be visible on the "Troubleshoot" page, in the center right column, 4 to 5 modules down.

(Click on the image to the left for a full-size version of a screen capture highlighting the location of the IBM Support Portal beta module.)

Click on "IBM Support Portal Adviser beta" to begin your trial of this application.

Submit your feedback to IBM!

As this is a beta that will be running through the end of May 2012, it is very important that you provide feedback so that we can make this application as helpful as possible.

How to submit specific feedback directly to the IBM Support Portal Adviser team:

Click on the link "Help us improve IBM Support Portal Adviser" in the "Support feedback" module on the right side of the IBM Support Portal Adviser's pages.

Please fill out this survey form as completely as possible.

Note: The Beta team is looking to conduct follow on phone interviews with users of this beta application. Please fill in field #13 with your name, phone and additional contact information if you are interested in providing direct feedback to IBM regarding this beta.

Hot on the heels of our social survey analysis post indicating a desire for more information on accessing things like downloads and connecting the dots through IBM.com systems, I give you the following two updates recently released by our IBM eSupport team!

First and foremost is a change to FixCentral which you may have already encountered in part. At the end of January, IBM made changes to IBM Fix Central with improvements to make this worldwide one-stop site for updates for all IBM products even more effective and useful for you.

The key highlight: An IBM ID will be required to download fixes for a majority of IBM products

Starting on January 31, clients accessing Fix Central will require an IBM ID to download fixes for all products (except selected Networking, SAN and System x products). This extends the requirement beyond the November 13, 2011 announcement which included AIX and VIOS.

More details on the IBM Fix Central Sign-In Updates are available in the eSupport blog article here: http://ibm.co/w1lJwN

Secondly, we are happy to announce that the IBM Support Portal Advisor Beta was recently released for a limited set of IBM products.

What is the IBM Support Portal Advisor? The IBM Support Portal Advisor (SPA) is a new, truly interactive way to search IBM support content. It provides a more human-like interaction, with more information and guidance throughout the problem description process plus enhanced search capabilities.

It searches through multiple databases inside and outside IBM, cross-ranking search results from four search engines.

If a service request is opened after using the IBM Support Portal Advisor, the client's SPA search history is attached to the service request record, providing IBM Support a log of what the client has already attempted to find prior to opening up that service request.

To try the IBM Support Portal Advisor, please follow these steps. (Click on the image to the right for a full-size version of the associated screen captures)

1. If it is your first time to the IBM Support Portal, you will be presented with a "Quick Start" page. Choose at least one product from the list above and click "Continue."

2. If you are returning to the IBM Support Portal, make sure you have at least one of the products listed above set to "Active" in the left side's "Choose a product" module. You may use the left side's "Quick find" search to add the needed product(s) to your active list.

Once a beta product is active, a new "Support Portal Advisor beta" module will automatically appear on the "Support home" page in the center left column, 4 modules down.

1. The "Support Portal Advisor beta" module will also be visible on the"Troubleshoot" page, in the center right column, 4 modules down.

Click on "1-2-3 Guided problem determination" to begin your trial of this application.

As above, more details on this beta release of the the IBM Support Portal Advisor can be found in the eSupport blog article here: http://ibm.co/xS1RuG

IBM has significantly updated theIBM Service Requestapplication
this week, with improvements to make this worldwide, consolidated
system for submitting technical support requests for all IBM software
products even more efficient and useful for our clients. Some changes
are refinements our clients have requested, others are new features to
improve the efficiency and speed with which IBM resolves support
requests.

Here in the states most of us are off celebrating the Presidents' Day holiday. But have no fear, we've not forgotten that you still need technical content to help you, even on holiday hours! To that end here is a list of videos from our friends at IBM Electronic Support designed to help you find the content you need, when you need it!